Let’s talk about how to keep your child’s hands busy during read-alouds! Whether your kids are still very young or elementary-aged, traditional toys like Legos, train sets, play-doh, or coloring books can be great ways to keep young children still. However, I wanted to make a few lesser known suggestions that our kids have personally loved.
Drawing Tablets
Recently my kids were gifted these Drawing Tablets, and they have been FANTASTIC for all of my kids to use while I read aloud. The kids are able to still listen well to what I’m reading, but they keep their hands busy — plus it’s an individual toy, meaning that they stay a bit quieter since they’re not playing together.
The tablets are very simple to operate, and we attached the stylus to each one so we wouldn’t lose them. The kids can draw, and pressing the button at the bottom of the pad will erase the whole screen. While our youngest son calls this his “iPad,” this is not an actual kid’s tablet with a screen, games, apps, etc. It simply is a way to draw and erase without wasting so much paper.
SmartGames
If you haven’t checked out SmartGames’ selection of mind puzzles, now is the time! Though each game is different, most have a booklet of 40-60 puzzles that can be solved within the same game. I bought Penguins Pool Party for my 6-year-old for Christmas this year, and he has completed all 60 challenges twice through! We also have Three Little Piggies, which is geared more toward ages 3+. All of the games are sturdy, well-made, and perfect for quiet, individual play.
Playmobil Sets
There are so many fantastic Playmobil sets that have kept my children busy for hours through the years! I love how unique Playmobil sets are, from their Playmobil History sets to Sports sets to City Life sets. Since there are lots of small pieces to keep track of, I love keeping these high up on a shelf and only bringing them down for special times like reading aloud. These are also timeless, as my kids still play with the sets my husband and I grew up playing with!
3D Globe Puzzle
In our journey through the Newbery winners, we listened to the 14-hour audio book of The Story of Mankind. Though it was a painful listen at times, this puzzle made it a little bit more doable! I love that this puzzle can be displayed when you’re finished and has numbered pieces that can help substantially when putting it together. All of our kids ages 5+ loved this puzzle.
Kaskey Kids Hockey Guys
If you have little sports fans, my boys have LOVED playing with these sports figures. Since my husband was a college hockey player and my boys want to follow in his footsteps, I have been amazed at how many quiet hours they have spent playing together with this set. You can also find Basketball Guys, Soccer Guys, Baseball Guys, Football Guys, and Soccer Girls.
Kinetic Sand Kit
I am not naturally very craft or creative, and messy toys stress me out. However, the foldable sandbox included with this set has helped make this a wonderful (and also clean!) way for the kids to be creative with their hands. If you’re not familiar with kinetic sand, it contains a glue substance that makes it more moldable and less likely to make a mess. The accompanying accessories really add a lot to this set, too.
Push Pop Bubble Fidget Sensory Toy
While we don’t personally own one of these, I’ve seen them and think they would be such a great diversion for fidgety little ones! I love that it is washable and can be used creatively to play games for one or two people.
Electronic Snap Circuit Kit
We found this kit at a thrift store several years back for $3 (new in box!), and all of our kids around ages 6+ have gotten lots of use from it. It comes with a booklet with over 100 different circuits to create, but you can also be creative and create your own. Just beware when reading aloud that some of the circuit combinations do play songs and make noise!
I hope some of these toys will be helpful for keeping little hands busy during read-alouds or just as birthday or Christmas presents for your children. Do you have any other favorites toys I missed? Please share in the comments below!